Kakia Petinou

Development of voice onset time in standard-Greek and Cypriot-Greek-speaking preschoolers.

The current investigation examined the development of voice onset time (VOT) in Standard-Greek (SG) and Cypriot-Greek (CG)-speaking children at age levels 2;0–2;5, 2;6–2;11, 3;0–3;5, and 3;6–4;0 years. SG presents with a two-way voicing contrast (voiced and voiceless unaspirated stops) whereas CG is a three-way contrast dialect containing voiceless unaspirated, voiceless aspirated, and pre-voiced stops. A cross-sectional design was used. The main goals were: (1) to determine the age at which Greek and Cypriot Greek children acquire voicing contrasts, and (2) to examine the mechanism used during the process of acquisition. Stimuli included pseudo words in minimal pair contrasts differing in stop voicing (e.g. [′gaga] vs [′kaka]). Children were taught the target words using fast mapping procedures. Each member within a word pair referred to an unfamiliar object. Audio-recorded samples were analysed from wide-band spectrograms. Results indicated a greater overall variation of voicing patterns for children than adults, in both Greek and Cypriot VOT contrasts. Greek children acquired consistent pre-voicing and short lag aspiration patterns very early on, achieving adult values for VOT contrasts for alveolar and for velar places of articulation as early as 2;0–2;5 years old. On the contrary, a developmental lag in the acquisition of voicing contrasts was noted for Cypriot children as compared to the Greek counterparts. Accounts about the developmental differences among Greek and Cypriot children with respect to the adult VOT contrasts are discussed.

Speech patterns in Cypriot-Greek late talkers

The investigation longitudinally examined the phonetic skills of Cypriot-Greek children with late onset of expressive vocabulary. The rate of phonological development within short time increments and the identification of possible speech constraints motivating slow development of expressive language were examined. Participants were seven Cypriot-Greek children identified as late talkers, and seven age-matched normally developing counterparts. Phonetic skills were examined at ages 30, 33, and 36 months for both groups based on spontaneous language samples. Phonological analyses focused on the construction of all subjects phonetic inventories over time. Both groups exhibited an increase of specific phoneme use over time. Late talkers had significantly poorer phonetic inventories when compared to the control group. Within the experimental group the analysis revealed the persistent omission of word-initial consonants. Results are discussed in terms of language-specific phonological constraints and their relation to slow development of speech.

International Survey of Speech-Language Pathologists' Practices in Working with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental impairment. To better understand the role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in different countries in supporting children with ASD, the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) Child Language Committee developed a survey for SLPs working with children or adolescents with ASD. Method and Participants: The survey comprised 58 questions about background information of respondents, characteristics of children with ASD, and the role of SLPs in diagnosis, assessment, and intervention practices. The survey was available in English, French, Russian, and Portuguese, and distributed online. Results: This paper provides a descriptive summary of the main findings from the quantitative data from the 1,114 SLPs (representing 35 countries) who were supporting children with ASD. Most of the respondents (91%) were experienced in working with children with ASD, and the majority (75%) worked in schools or early childhood settings. SLPs reported that the children’s typical age at diagnosis of ASD on their caseload was 3–4 years, completed mostly by a professional team. Conclusions: The results support positive global trends for SLPs using effective practices in assessment and intervention for children with ASD. Two areas where SLPs may need further support are involving parents in assessment practices, and supporting literacy development in children with ASD.

Language Skills in Cypriot-Greek Speaking Toddlers with Specific Language Delay

The current investigation examined longitudinally the emergence of specific linguistic parameters in toddlers with and without late onset of expressive language. The central aim of this investigation was to compare the linguistic skills of typically developing and late-talking toddlers while: (a) observing patterns of linguistic development between the two groups on specific parameters and (b) examining the impact of early language delay on language-specific parameters and comparing these with cross-linguistic data. The subjects were 18 Cypriot-Greek speaking toddlers classified as late-talkers (LTs), and 18 age-matched counterparts with normal course of language development (NLDs). Participants were assessed at 28 months, 32 months, and 36 months, using various linguistic measures such as receptive and expressive vocabulary, mean length of utterance as measured in words (MLU-W), and phonetic production. Overall, the two groups exhibited parallel developmental profiles, with a language lag favoring the LT group as compared to the NLD counterpart. The results of this study highlight the negative effect of early language delay on later language skills, even up to age three years and lend support to the current literature regarding the universal linguistic picture of early and persistent language delay. Finally, the findings are discussed in view of the need for further research with a focus on more language sensitive tools in testing later language outcomes.

Investigating Use of a Parent Report Tool to Measure Vocabulary Development in Deaf Greek-speaking Children with Cochlear Implants

Objective: There are very few measures of language development in spoken Greek that can be used with young deaf children. This study investigated the use of Cyprus Lexical List (CYLEX), a receptive and expressive vocabulary assessment based on parent report that has recently been adapted to Standard Greek, to measure the vocabulary development of deaf Greek-speaking children with cochlear implants. Design: A Standard Greek version of CYLEX was used to collect data on receptive and expressive vocabulary development from parents of thirteen deaf children with cochlear implants aged between 21 and 71 months. These data were compared with data collected previously from typically developing hearing Greek-speaking children. Results: Use of the test by parents of deaf children was found to be reliable. No correlation was found between childrens vocabulary scores and chronological age. A positive correlation was however found between childrens post-implant age and expressive vocabulary. The vocabulary skills of implanted children with a mean post-implant age of 20 months were not significantly different from those of typically developing hearing children of similar chronological age. Conclusion: CYLEX is a reliable and useful tool for exploring vocabulary development with this clinical group. Findings confirm the results of other studies in indicating that the vocabulary size of implanted pre-school-aged deaf children is related to the amount of time that children have used their implant, rather than chronological age.

Early phonetic development in typically developing children: A longitudinal investigation from Cypriot-Greek child data

ABSTRACT The current longitudinal study examined the acquisition of consonantal singleton segments in Cypriot-Greek. The study’s aims were: (a) to determine the acquisition of segments for manner and place of articulation as a function of age and word position, (b) to provide preliminary normative data, and (c) to further support the cross-linguistic data pool regarding developmental phonology patterns. Participants were 14 Cypriot-Greek speaking typically developing toddlers, examined at ages 24, 28, 32 and 36 months. Spontaneously produced and elicited glossable utterances were used in constructing each child’s inventory. Findings revealed an increase of segmental acquisition across all age levels. Group trend analysis for manner and place of articulation indicated bilabial and alveolar stops and nasals to be among the earlier segments to develop. A word medial position advantage was also evident. The findings are discussed in terms of phonological universals and language-specific factors. Implications for early evidence-based phonetic assessment are discussed.

The use of augmentative and alternative communication in Cyprus: Findings from a preliminary survey:

Whilst augmentative and alternative communication has been used for over sixty years across many countries, in Cyprus it remains underdeveloped. The current study seeks to investigate the current AAC practices in Cyprus. Data were collected through electronically distributed questionnaires to all registered speech and language therapists (n = 330), contacted by the Cyprus Speech Therapy Association. The questionnaire comprised 12 questions, which were categorized into three sections: background information (educational level and clinical experience), training undergone (during or after completion of tertiary education) and participants’ AAC practices (caseload, assessment and intervention). The findings from the analysis of the returned data (n = 59) reveal that training provision on augmentative and alternative communication has positively influenced practice. Most of the participants received training in the specific field during their bachelor’s degree, rather than during later education. Life-long training on different language systems (including different assistive technology tools, such as symbols and talking products as well as methods such as the Picture Exchange Communication System) also played a pivotal role in their work. Regarding the assessment process, the findings show that whilst there are a number of standardized language assessment tools, the participants relied heavily on non-standardized tools and/or their clinical judgment. Regarding intervention, they reported using different language systems and a variety of Assistive Technology equipment. Several recommendations are made aimed at raising the profile of AAC services in Cyprus, especially with regards to training and assessment, as the findings show that these areas have not been addressed systemically thus far.

Risk Factors for Voice Disorders in University Professors in Cyprus

AIMSnThe purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors for voice pathologies in university professors to determine the need for a preventative vocal hygiene education program that could improve the quality of life of university faculty.nnnMETHODSnAn online questionnaire was completed by 196 professors from 12 universities in Cyprus. The questionnaire elicited data regarding risk factors that may lead to voice disorders on parameters including general health, voice use, lifestyle, and environment and the self-perceived severity of a subjects voice problem. Subjects were divided into two groups based on their Voice Disorder Index (VDI) score: professors with VDI ≤5 and professors with VDI >5. The chi-square test was used to examine the differences in responses for each voice risk factor between the VDI ≤5 and the VDI >5 groups.nnnRESULTSnThe VDI >5 group was more likely to frequently or sometimes experience respiratory infections, coughing, throat clearing, and stress, teach above students talking, and speak over their natural breath cycle than the VDI ≤5 group. Professors in the VDI >5 category were also more likely to have taught in very or moderately noisy environments than the VDI ≤5 group.nnnCONCLUSIONSnHealth, voice use, lifestyle, and environmental factors may contribute to the development of voice disorders in university professors in Cyprus. Therefore, a preventative vocal hygiene education program is recommended.

Risk and Prevalence of Self-Perceived Voice Disorders in Male and Female University Professors

Purpose: The aim of this survey was to explore risk factors and prevalence of voice disorders in male and female university professors in order to determine the need for a gender specific preventative vocal hygiene education program which could improve their occupational performance. Methods: An online survey was filled out by 102 female and 94 male university professors from 12 universities in Cyprus. The survey obtained information on risk factors that may lead to voice problems related to general health, voice use, lifestyle, and environment, as well as, the self-perceived severity of a participant’s voice difficulty. The chi-squared test was applied to investigate the differences in answers for each voice risk factor between male and female professors. The prevalence of self-perceived voice disorders in males and females was also calculated. Results: The estimated prevalence of self-perceived voice disorders was 43.1% for female and 26.6% for male professors. Female professors were more likely to “frequently” experience respiratory infections, “sometimes” speak over their natural breath cycle, and “always” and “frequently” have stress and anxiety than males. Female faculty were also more likely to have breaks between classes that last less than 30 minutes. Conclusions: Risk factors for developing voice disorders in female professors are related to health, voice use and lifestyle. Therefore, a preventative gender specific vocal hygiene education program is recommended for female faculty.

Morphophonology and compensation in specific language impairment: Evidence from Standard Modern Greek and Cypriot Greek

ABSTRACT The current study investigates the role of the morphophonological realisation of grammatical features as a compensatory mechanism for morphosyntactic deficits in specific language impairment (SLI). The phenomenon examined is past tense formation in Standard Modern Greek (SMG) and Cypriot Greek (CG) as it manifests a distinction in morphophonological salience realisation in the two linguistic varieties via differential use of a stress shift and stressed syllabic augment [é] required for past tense rule formation. Participants were pre-schoolers with typical language development (TD) and children with SLI. Subjects produced real verb (RV) and pseudo-verb stimuli (PV) in sentence completion tasks. Results indicated that morphophonological properties of past tense formation affected SLI but not TD performance. We attribute the results to the difference in the status of the augment in each variety and the effects it has on its realisation at the phonetic interface. Furthermore, verb contractibility appeared to pose particular difficulties in the performance of all groups.